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Role reversal This year, it's defense lifting offense at Purdue
Updated: Monday July 02, 2001 5:09 PM
During much of Joe Tiller's first four seasons at Purdue, the philosophy has been simple: score a lot of points. This season, that might not be necessary. "We feel like we're going to have a special defense," Tiller said. "I could give you the standard answer, like, 'Let's wait and see,' but yeah, this is the best defense we've had." Tiller's confidence is not unfounded. Despite starting five freshmen, last year's unit improved from seventh to third in the Big Ten in total defense (346.8 yards per game), a major reason the Boilers landed their first Rose Bowl bid in 34 years. Nine starters return in 2001, including All-Big Ten defensive linemen Akin Ayodele (nine sacks) and Matt Mitrione (13 tackles for loss) and Freshman All-American safety Stuart Schweigert (five interceptions). The only starters lost are the two corners. (It would have been only one, but Ashante Woodyard tore his ACL in a pickup basketball game two days after spring practice ended). Even here, the Boilers have upgraded, replacing 5-foot-7 Chris Clopton with 6-2 freshman Antwaun Rogers, a track standout who ran a team-best 4.39 40 in the spring. "Because we're young on offense, we hope our defense can keep us in games early on," Tiller said.
That youth on offense starts most visibly at quarterback, where, for the first time since Tiller's first season in 1997, record-setter Drew Brees is not at the helm. Those duties fall to redshirt freshman Brandon Hance, a much more highly regarded prospect coming out of Woodland Hills, Calif., than Brees ever was. And, just like his predecessor, Hance showed excellent command of Tiller's complex spread attack in the spring, virtually eliminating any chance of incoming blue chipper Kyle Orton stealing the job come fall. "He's beginning to assert himself as a leader, you can put him on the board and he'll tell you how the offense works," Tiller said. "We just don't know how he's going to do in a game." The 19-year-old Hance, who will be joined by six new starters on the offensive line and at receiver, will be tested early, opening at Cincinnati, a bowl team a year ago, and against Notre Dame. Hance has two proven tailbacks to take the load off a bit in Montrell Lowe (998 yards) and Sedrick Brown (5.9 per carry), but Tiller says he can't allow the offense to hold back if the young players are to fully grasp the system. "It's still pass 'til you get hot, then keep passing," he said. If Hance doesn't click right away with his receivers, or if the line doesn't gel, the Boilers will likely struggle regardless of what the defense does. Turnovers, almost expected from a young quarterback, could doom them. But if Hance progresses like Brees did his first year as a starter, and if the defense really is all that, Purdue is as viable a contender as any in the wide-open Big Ten.
Everyone loves the BuckeyesNew Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel continues to take the recruiting world by storm. Of the 10 players on SuperPrep's Top 100 list to announce college choices thus far, four are Buckeyes, including blue-chip offensive lineman Doug Datish (6-5, 287 pounds) from Warren, Ohio and acclaimed Massilon QB Justin Zwick. No other school has more than one. Ohio State has 11 commitments in all -- 10 from Ohio -- with Signing Day still seven months away. In the last week alone, DE Jay Richardson (Dublin), LB A.J. Hawk (Centerville), DB E.J. Underwood (Hamilton) and OLs Datish, Rob Sims (Macedonia) and OL Nick Mangold (Kettering) all joined the fray. "This has probably been the greatest month in the history of Ohio State recruiting," said SuperPrep's Allen Wallace. "With this class they're putting together now, they're the team to beat in Big Ten [recruting], and they'd have to make some serious mistakes down the stretch to fall out of top five nationwide." Predecessor John Cooper had his share of highly rated classes as well at OSU (both the 1996 and '99 were ranked No. 2 nationally), but much of that was based on his efforts coast to coast. What's rare is that so many prospects from the talent-rich state are committed this early in the game to staying in Ohio. "Normally they fall behind Michigan at this point, but Tressel has generated so much enthusiasm," Wallace said. "I've talked to some kids who said that this new staff made a difference for them. He's doing all the right things and being very aggressive in his desire to hunker down and close off the state."
Worth notingRivaling Ohio State in early recruiting efforts is UCLA, with seven blue-chip commitments, including top 100 TE Marcedes Lewis and local standout DE Kevin Harbour, and, of course, Texas (nine commitments), which has been doing this every year since Mack Brown arrived. ... The future of Florida State's passing game was on display at the recent California-Florida high school all-star game in Santa Barbara, Calif. Incoming QB Adrian McPherson completed 14-of-21 for 243 yards and two touchdowns, including three big plays to soon-to-be FSU receiver Craphonso Thorpe, who totaled 101 yards. ... Louisville coach John L. Smith and offensive line coach Art Valero will participate in Saturday's running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. "I'm not scared yet," Smith said. "But when those things start running at us, I'm sure at that point, I might wet my pants." CNNSI.com's Stewart Mandel will offer his latest Offseason Beat notes regularly from now till Kickoff 2001. If you have questions, comments, ideas or scoops for the Beat, click here.
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